Electrically operated fan



Aug. 1l, 1936. 0. E. ROGERS ELEGTRICALLY OPERATED FAN Filed May '7, 1935 DANIELEVAN ocvi N VENTO@ m Je@ ATTY t... @y f Patented Aug. 11, 1936 FFIQE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED FAN Application May 7, 1935, Serial No. 20,171 In Great Britain May 18, 1934 10 Claims.

The invention relates to an electrically operated fan of the kind generally known as an oscillating fan, but which would be more correctly described as a fan whose fan wheel has simultaneous revolution and gyration, and distinctly to that kind wherein the spindle of the fan wheel, set inclined to the motor shaft, is simultaneously revolved and gyrated relative to the stationary body of the motor and from the rotation of the motor shaft.

The invention provides in such a ian a combination of parts constructed, so arranged and operative that a balanced fan wheel action, smooth running, and a gyration within substantially the diameter of the fan wheel results, one of the distinguishing features being that the centre of gravity of the fan Wheel and spindle unit is approximately in the plane of the fan wheel itself and also approximately on the common axis of the motor shaft and the carrier for the bearing of the fan wheel spindle, the combination comprising a stationary electric motor, a revoluble carrier for an inclined bearing for a fan wheel and spindle unit and which carrier is mounted on the motor casing concentric to the motor shaft and is driven from said shaft at a reduced speed by suitable gearing, and a combined fan wheel and spindle unit adapted to be driven from the motor shaft while its spindle engages the inclined bearing of the carrier.

Further, the invention also embodies a cornbination wherein the fan wheel spindle has bearings in a member which is rockable upon opposite trunnions of a carrier to allow of adjustment of the inclination of the fan wheel spindle relative to the axis of the motor shaft, the axis of the trunnions being across the axis of the motor shaft and the centre of gravity of the fan wheel and its spindle approximately at the axis of rocking.

Further, the invention embodies a combination wherein the revoluble carrier is anti-frictionally mounted on the one end of the motor body to be supported therefrom and is bored out to receive the rockable bearing member for a stub spindle xed to the rear side of the fan wheel, which spindle is also bored out to accommodate a portion of a torsional spring drive ,operating between the end of the motor shaft and the fan wheel spindle, the borings in both carrier and spindle enabling the arrangement of the parts to be as close as possible to the adjacent end of the motor body, which is also according to the invention arranged` to have applied to it the reduction gear for driving the carrier through an axial pinion at the back of the carrier and surrounding the motor shaft.

The invention in its desirable combination is represented by the accompanying drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of substantially the entire fan, but with certain parts omitted for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the reduction gear arrangement of Fig. i on the 10 dotted lines AB.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the bearing of the fan wheel spindle Fig. 1, on the dotted lines CD.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the fan wheel and 15 its spindle.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the adjustable part of the bearing for the fan wheel spindle.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the other part of the bearing for said spindle. 20 Fig. '7 is a sectional view of a circular spring clip.

The motor body a. containing the motor is mounted in convenient supports, preferably so that it can be adjusted in two directions at 25 right-angles and afterwards xed to position the general direction of operation of the fan Wheel. For this purpose said body is oppositely pivoted at a2 within a rigidly built fork a. which is supported by a base a.i in a manner allowing of said fork to revolve about an axis a5 directed at right-angles to 'the direction of pivoting a2, the motor body therefore having substantial adjustment upon its mounting, but being fixed stationary after adjustment. i

The motor shaft is indicated atc and is driven by the armature in the usual way and extends through a gear housing d rigidly secured to the end of the motor body, a., to also provide a support for a revoluble carrier f arranged concentric of the shaft c and carrying a ring g providing a bearing for the stub spindle h2 of the fan wheel h. The carrier f is supported from the housing d by ball bearings f3, and is provided on its inner end with a toothed pinion j3 and at its outer end is bored out from the front at f* to receive the bearing ring y which externally is transversely shaped as a part of a sphere, said ring being connected to the carrier f so as to rock within its boring Jc4 upon opposite trunnions, g2, g, the axis of which is across the axis of the motor shaft c. The spindle h.z is freely revoluble within the bore gi oi the ring y, and is held against axial displacement by engagement of a grub screw y5 applied to the ring g to engage an annular groove hs of the spindle. The ring g is formed on its exterior with a number of distanced apart notches g extending at right-angles to the direction of pivoting of the ring to the carrier by the trunnions, these notches to be engaged by a ball f applied to the carrier f to be spring pressed into engagement with any one of the notches, a resilient band clip i, encircling the carrier f and lying over the trunnions g2, g, pressing this ball into engagement with the notches, said band clip being movable away from the ball and trunnions for disassembling.

The motor shaft c is coupled to the fan Wheel spindle h2 by a coiled spring y' operating torsionally and providing a fiexible and resilient drive between the motor shaft and the spindle, the use of this spring also easing the effect of the initial torque of the motor on starting up and providing a Very effective drive from the motor shaft to the spindle for inclining the axis of the fan wheel and its spindle to the axis of the shaft.

The reduction gear for driving the carrier f from the shaftc comprises'a worm Z fast on the motor shaft c, a worm pinion m gearing with this worin and carried upon a cross-shaft 1i having bearings in the housing d, a worm o fast upon said cross-shaft, a worm pinion r fast upon a short shaft s also having bearings in the housing d, and a toothed pinion t gearing with the toothed pinion f3, this gearing providing for the revolution of the carrier f from the motor shaft c at a very much reduced speed.

The housing d is in greater part omitted, though indicated, in Fig. 1 for theY purpose of clearer illustration of the reduction gear, but same is substantially of solid cylindrical construction bolted to the facing a of the motor body by bolts a?, a, shown in Fig. 2, while the carrier f is applied to the housing d concentric with the motor shaft c by an outer face plate u clamped to said housing by screw pins u2 one only of which is shown, the plate u there-V fore becoming a one-piece part of the housing but a necessarily detachable one for assembling the several parts of the gear.

From the foregoing description and drawing it will be clear that the carrier f is concentric to the motor shaft and is revolved therefrom at a reduced speed, and that the bearing ring g is rockable within the front boring of the carrier f upon 'the trunnions g2, g, to varying positions held by the ball and notch engagement, such engagement determining the inclination 01' otherwise of the fanwheel spindle h2 to the axis of the motor shaft, the bearing ring g being always carried round by the carrier f during the latters revolution While 'at the same time the fan wheel spindle h2 is independently ro- Vtated from the motor shaft at the same rate of speed. Y

It will be clear from the description with 'reference to the drawing that the construction Yapproximately in the plane of the fan wheel itself and also approximately on the common axis of the motor shaft c and the revoluble carrier f, i. e. approximately-on'the intersection of the axis of the trunnions with the axis of the carrier, so that the fan wheel action is a balanced one ensuring smooth running and a gyration which is substantially within the diameter of the fan wheel itself.

The drawing shows three different adjustments of inclination of the fan wheel spindle h2 in relation to the axis ofthe motor shaft c,

the full lines of the fan blades showing the midwhich the inclined axis of the fan wheel spindle h2 can be a set one without any adjustment to vary theinclination, i. e. the spring pressed ball y is holding the inclination and it is only required that a fixing pin be substituted for the spring pressed ball to obtain a set position of the fan wheel spindle unit without any adjustment to vary the inclination although that represented in the drawing and described in connection therewith giving the adjustment of inclination is the most useful and desirable form.

A guard a: surrounds the fan wheel and this is carried by a tubular sleeve :1:2 fitting tightly over the periphery of the housing d and upon a part of the motor body to serve the useful purpose, in addition to supporting the guard, of closing said periphery and axially holding the cross-shaft n in position. With reference to this guard, it will be obvious that it should be of as small dimensions as possible, and it will be clear that the invention enables this to be so because the gyration of the fan wheel unit is substantially within the dimensions of the diameter of the fan wheel.

The coiled spring :i is coupled up to the fan wheel spindle h? and to the motor shaft c by end'members of it engaging fork extensionsof the spindleand shaft.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz-V 1. An electrically Voperated fan combining a stationary electric motor, a gear housing forming part of Athe one end of the motor casing, a revolubleV carrier. for a fan wheel and 'spindle unit and which carrier mounted upon the outer end of the gear housing concentrically to the motor shaft, said carrier having within its outer end a concentric boring, a Vgear arranged within the gear housing to revolve the carrier at a reduced speed from the revolution of the motor shaft a part of which gear is a concentric pinion fixed to the back of the carrier, a bearing ring rockably arranged within the boring on trunnions at right-angles to the axis of the carrierandintersecting said axis, spring pressed means applied between the carrierV and ring for fixing the bearing ring within the boring in adjusted position, a combined fan Wheel and spindle unit whose stub spindle engages the bearing ring from the front, said stub spindle being bored Vtrically to the motor shaft and driven from said shaft at a Yreduced speed by gearing, an inclined.

bearing forming a part of the carrier and which is anti-frictionally is arranged symmetrically around the axis of gyration, a combined fan wheel and stubl spindle unit whose spindle engages the inclined bearing so that said unit is also arranged symmetrica-ily around said axis of gyration, and means for driving the spindle unit from rotation of the motor shaft.

3. An electrically operated gyratory fan combining a stationary electric motor, a revoluble carrier mounted on the motor casing concentrically to the motor shaft and driven from said shaft at a reduced speed by gearing, an inclined bearing forming a part of the carrier and which is arranged symmetrically around the axis of gyration, a combined fan wheel and stub spindle unit whose spindle is hollow and engages the inclined bearing so that said unit is also arranged symmetrically around said axis of gyration, and flexible means engaging the hollow spindle for driving the unit from the motor shaft.

4. An electrically operated gyratory fan combining a stationary electric motor, a revoluble carrier mounted on the motor casing concentrically to the motor shaft and driven from said shaft at a reduced speed by gearing, a rockable bearing forming a part of the carrier and which is arranged symmetrically around the axis of gyration and which bearing is xable after adjustment, a combined fan wheel and stub spindle unit whose spindle engages the bearing so that said unit is also arranged symmetrically around said axis of gyration, and means for driving the spindle unit from the motor shaft.

5. An electrically operated gyratory fan combining a stationary electric motor, a revoluble carrier mounted on the motor casing concentrically to the motor shaft and driven from said shaft at a reduced speed by gearing, a rockable bearing forming a part of the carrier and which is arranged symmetrically around the axis of gyration, a combined fan wheel and stub spindle unit whose spindle is hollow and engages the inclined bearing so that said unit is also arranged symmetrically around said axis of gyration, and flexible means engaging the hollow spindle for driving the unit from the motor shaft.

6. An electrically operated gyratory fan combining a stationary electric motor, a revoluble carrier arranged on the motor casing concentric to the motor shaft and driven from said shaft at a reduced speed by gearing, said carrier having within its outer end a concentric boring, a bearing ring rockably arranged within the boring on trunnions at right agles to the axis of the carrier and intersecting said axis and which bearing is arranged symmetrically around the axis of gyration, a combined fan wheel and stub spindle unit whose spindle engages the rockable bearing ring so that said unit is also arranged symmetrically around said axis of gyration, and means for driving the spindle unit from the motor shaft.

7. An electrically operated gyratory fan combining a stationary electric motor, a revoluble carrier mounted on the motor casing concentrically to the motor shaft and driven from said shaft at a reduced speed by gearing, said carrier having within its outer end a concentric boring, a bearing ring rockably arranged within the boring on trunnions at right angles to the axis of the carrier and intersecting said axis and which bearing is arranged symmetrically around the axis of gyration, a combined fan wheel and stub spindle unit whose spindle is hollow and engages the rockable bearing ring so that said unit is also arranged symmetrically around said axis of gyration, and iiexible means engaging the hollow spindle for driving the unit from the motor shaft.

8. An electrically operated gyratory fan combining a stationary electric motor, a revoluble carrier mounted on the motor casing concentrically to the motor shaft and driven from said shaft at a reduced speed by gearing, a rockable bearing forming a part of the carrier and which is arranged symmetrically around the axis of gyration, means spring pressed into action for snap xing the bearing ring in adjusted position, a combined fan wheel and stub spindle unit whose spindle engages the bearing so `that said unit is also arranged symmetrically around said axis of gyration, and means for driving the spindle unit from the motor shaft.

9. An electrically operated gyratory fan combining a stationary electric motor, a revoluble carrier mounted on the motor casing concentrically to the motor shaft and driven from said shaft at a reduced speed by gearing, said carrier having within its outer end a concentric boring, a bearing ring rockably arranged within the boring on trunnions at right angles to the axis of the carrier and intersecting said axis, which bearing is arranged symmetrically around the axis of gyration, means spring pressed into action for snap xing the bearing ring in adjusted position, a combined fan wheel and stub spindle unit whose spindle is hollow and engages the inclined bearing so that said unit is also arranged symmetrically around said axis of gyration, and exible driving means engaging the hollow spindle for driving the unit from the motor shaft.

l0. An electrically operated gyratory fan combining a stationary electric motor, a revoluble carrier mounted on the motor casing concentrically to the motor shaft, gearing mounted on the motor casing to drive said carrier from the motor shaft at a reduced speed, an inclined bearing forming a part of the carrier and which is arranged symmetrically around the axis of gyration, a combined fan wheel and stub spindle unit whose spindle engages the inclined bearing so that said unit is also arranged symmetrically around said axis of gyration, and means for driving the spindle unit from the motor shaft.

DANIEL EVAN ROGERS. 

